Ashok Diwan stranded in USA, writes to Batra for help

Originally scheduled to fly back to Delhi on April 20 by Air India, Diwan has been stranded due to the ongoing pandemic crisis related to COVID-19.

Members of the 1975 Hockey World Cup winning team (from Left to Right) - Onkar Singh, Ashok Kumar, Michael Kindo, Brig. H.J.S. Chimni, P.E. Kaliah, B.P. Govinda, Ajit Pal Singh (Captain), Aslam Sher Khan, Brig. Harcharan Singh, Varinder Singh, V.J. Philips, Ashok Diwan and Leslie Fernandez seen during a felicitation function in New Delhi.

Ashok Diwan, hero of the 1975 World Cup winning hockey team, has made a distress appeal to Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president N. K. Batra on Thursday.

Reaching out to Batra, he has pleaded, “I need your help as you know I am stuck in USA and have developed some health problems. Being a high blood pressure (patient) I had to attend hospital in emergency last week in California.”

Originally scheduled to fly back to Delhi on April 20 by Air India, Diwan has been stranded due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“My travel dates have been pushed (further). I am not feeling well these days and doesn’t have any (medical) insurance here. As you know the medical costs are very high here,” wrote Diwan.

The former goalkeeper added, “I request Union Sports Minister (Kiran Rijiju) and Union External Minister (S. Jaishankar) to instruct the Indian Embassy at San Francisco to help me with a hospital for my checkup or if they can arrange earlier departure from San Francisco to India. I will pay the bills when I come back in India.”

Diwan concluded with a fervent appeal, “Treat this as urgent as I am really in bad health here.”

 

The IOA chief reached out to the Indian Embassy to help Diwan. Late on Thursday, Diwan received a call from the Embassy. In a message, he confirmed: "They told me that by evening some doctor will contact me."